local marketing center|Paul and Sarah Edwards |Working From Home |

local marketing consulting

  • Home
  • Working From Home Hotline
  • Elm Street Library
  • Media

Survey Finds Over 1300 Optimistic About the Future of Their Careers … or Are They?

February 25, 2012 by Paul Edwards 27 Comments

Over 1350 people have responded to the Elm Street Economy Sustainable Livelihoods survey since we put it up in 2009. The survey seeks to find out how secure people feel about the future of their current career path.

To determine this we asked a series of questions about how well respondents thought their career would hold up to the eight criteria we believe predict how enduring a particular career will be as our country shifts to an increasingly localized economy.

Here are findings to date to date:

First survey results to date show people are optimistic about their own careers.  80% believe what they do will still be in demand in five years.

  • Contributing to this belief is more than half (53%) say their job or work serves a non-discretionary basic need in their own or a nearby community. About the same number (54%) believe their skills are readily barterable.
  • Better than half (55%) believe they can do their work virtually, that is serve an employer or clients and customers located anywhere.
  • Three out of four respondents state their work can be done independently from home.
  • Only out of four people are concerned their work might be subject to being replaced by technology or being off-shored, but four out of think their work is not vulnerable to these forces.
  • Two out of three respondents say that the supplies and materials they need to their work are available locally and affordably.
  • Fewer than half (47%) identify with the term “Main Street Economy” and 58% think an “Elm Street Economy” is different than a Main Street Economy.

But most interesting is that after taking the survey, three out of ten people said their assessment of the future of their job or training had changed.

So what does this mean? If management guru Tom Peters is correct in his prediction that most of the white and pink collar jobs we now hold will no longer exist within the near feature, then our respondents either:

  • do not  reflect the majority of American workers – most of whom who work in some      form for management, technology, service, entertainment and retail or
  • Our survey is reaching a very narrow segment of the US population who have already      positioned themselves for the dramatic changes that are underway in  response to a weakening national and global economy, rising shortages and      higher costs of natural resources and significant climate change.
  • A   third of those responding “woke up” to the new reality for the future of      their careers by taking the survey.

The changes taking place in our world today are leading to as profound a shift in regard to work as when human kind stopped hunting and gathering and began farming or when we left the farmlands to work in factories and high rises.

To secure our future well-being we all need to think honestly about if the current jobs we have been trained for and hold actually involve meeting basic needs, could be carried out at home independently without an employer, serves their own or a close existing neighborhood, has all the materials they produced nearby and can be easily bartered.

To discover the type of livelihoods we believe will make us secure for the future we offer courses Finding a Sustainable Livelihood obtainable from PostPeakLiving.com and soon by the Learning Annex that feature 200+ Sustainable Livelihoods for a secure tomorrow.  An additional resource will be our soon to be  released Working From Home Encyclopedia as an interactive eBook.

Comments on the substance of the blogs are welcome. If you have other questions, please contact me directly for a consulting appointment.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Share this:

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Print

Filed Under: Sustainable Home Businesses, The Future Tagged With: career, community, Elm Street Economy, global economy, Main Street Economy, Sustainable Livelihoods survey

Comments

  1. Marybelle Mallick says

    March 10, 2012 at 8:18 am

    Some really good blog posts on this site, thankyou for contribution.

    Reply
  2. e-cigarette brands says

    March 13, 2012 at 7:10 pm

    You have mentioned very interesting details! ps decent internet site.

    Reply
  3. squishy basketballs says

    March 13, 2012 at 7:22 pm

    Hi there are using WordPress for your site platform? I’m new to the blog world but I’m trying to get started and set up my own. Do you require any html coding knowledge to make your own blog? Any help would be really appreciated!

    Reply
    • admin says

      March 13, 2012 at 7:33 pm

      Yes, this is a WordPress blog and it doesn’t require one to know HTML coding. However, we used a consultant to do the basic setup and occasionally need to get some guidance or help. But the more I use WordPress, I’m able to more things myself. For example, this morning I created a new page and changed one of our existing ones to Counseling and Courses, changing the content in the process. If you want the name of our consultant, email me directly from the links to my email address on pages like Counseling and Courses.

      Reply
  4. free online games says

    March 15, 2012 at 12:30 am

    It’s an interesting approach. I commonly see unexceptional views on the subject but yours it’s written in a pretty unusual fashion. Surely, I will revisit your website for additional info.

    Reply
  5. website traffic says

    March 15, 2012 at 1:35 am

    Really great info can be found on website.

    Reply
  6. Tashina says

    March 15, 2012 at 1:53 pm

    I saw a lot of website but I conceive this one has something special in it. “There are always those who think they know what is your responsibility better than you do.” by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

    Reply
  7. BAcklinks RSS Feeds says

    March 15, 2012 at 8:57 pm

    I conceive this web site contains very superb written written content posts.

    Reply
    • Ciguli says

      March 28, 2012 at 5:46 pm

      16a142351caDefinitely believe that which you seattd. Your favorite reason seemed to be on the internet the simplest thing to be aware of. I say to you, I definitely get annoyed while people think about worries that they plainly do not know about. You managed to hit the nail upon the top and also defined out the whole thing without having side-effects , people can take a signal. Will probably be back to get more. Thanks 187

      Reply
  8. sanjarica tumacenje snova says

    March 15, 2012 at 9:44 pm

    I’m extremely amazed with your writing skills and in addition with the layout on your weblog. Is this a paid theme or even did you modify that yourself? Anyway continue the excellent quality writing, It’s rare to see a great blog exactly like it nowadays.

    Reply
  9. Eva Angelina says

    March 15, 2012 at 11:25 pm

    I dugg some of you post as I cerebrated they were extremely helpful handy

    Reply
  10. Sprinkles says

    March 17, 2012 at 12:50 am

    This is my first time i visit here. I located so many interesting stuff in your website especially its discussion. From the tons of comments on your posts, I guess I am not the only one having all the enjoyment here! keep up the good work.

    Reply
  11. Kasi Murriel says

    March 17, 2012 at 8:42 am

    I truly enjoy looking through on this internet site , it has excellent content . “We find comfort among those who agree with us–growth among those who don’t.” by Frank A. Clark.

    Reply
  12. layton utah dentists says

    March 23, 2012 at 4:50 pm

    I like this post Survey Finds Over 1300 Optimistic About the Future of Their Careers … or Do They? | Elm Street Economy enjoyed this one thankyou for putting up. Kudos … layton utah dentists !…

    Reply
  13. http://www.fourmicroonde.net/ says

    March 24, 2012 at 10:48 pm

    Good website! I truly love how it is simple on my eyes and the data are well written. I’m wondering how I could be notified whenever a new post has been made. I’ve subscribed to your RSS which must do the trick! Have a great day! “A rut is a grave with the ends knocked out.” by Laurence J. Peter.

    Reply
  14. Lenita Klenovich says

    March 25, 2012 at 12:30 am

    Today, taking into consideration the fast chosen lifestyle that everyone leads, credit cards get this amazing demand throughout the economy. Persons coming from every area are using the credit card and people who are not using the credit cards have prepared to apply for even one. Thanks for discussing your ideas in credit cards.

    Reply
  15. hybrid cars says

    March 25, 2012 at 12:12 pm

    I saw a lot of website but I conceive this one contains something special in it. “Acceptance of what has happened is the first step to overcoming the consequences of any misfortune.” by William James.

    Reply
  16. Lorine Morr says

    March 25, 2012 at 8:30 pm

    Hmm it looks like your site ate my first comment (it was super long) so I guess I’ll just sum it up what I had written and say, I’m thoroughly enjoying your blog. I too am an aspiring blog writer but I’m still new to everything. Do you have any recommendations for novice blog writers? I’d really appreciate it.

    Reply
    • admin says

      March 25, 2012 at 9:26 pm

      Yes, it’s possible that Akismet, the spam filter I use on this blog ate your earlier comment. I’m glad you like blog and I am writing another this afternoon. WordPress is my preferred form of blogging, though Tumbler and Blogger are quite popular. We have a new BarChart out entitled Social Media Marketing that has a number of tips for blogging. Here are a few:
      •Pick a focus for your blog that will set it apart from others in your business or industry. The more unique or specialized your blog, the more likely it will be useful as a marketing tool. To help refine your niche, read blogs in your industry or subject area to determine what is already being written; also look at which blogs they are linking to.
      •Analyze how the most successful blogs in your industry are getting results and employ these techniques.
      •Unique content is vital, but looks are important too. Choose visually appealing fonts, graphics, and colors. A clean, polished look is recommended.
      •Blog posts can be short (e.g., two or three paragraphs) to make quick reads and to save you time in writing.
      •Decide how frequently you will publish posts, and be consistent. Consistency, as well as having pertinent posts, is necessary to maintain readership. Notice the rates at which other blogs in industry publish posts.

      Reply
  17. admin says

    March 27, 2012 at 12:06 am

    We would be happy for you to post a backlink.

    Reply
  18. hiking packs says

    March 27, 2012 at 12:22 am

    Just added this blog to my favorites. I enjoy reading your blogs and hope you keep them coming!

    Reply
  19. Buddy Mandaloniz says

    March 28, 2012 at 1:53 pm

    Keep up the great piece of work, I read few articles on this site and I think that your blog is real interesting and holds sets of great information.

    Reply
  20. wifi adapter usb says

    March 28, 2012 at 5:32 pm

    I’m impressed, I must say. Seldom do I come across a blog that’s both educative and interesting, and without a doubt, you have hit the nail on the head. The problem is an issue that not enough men and women are speaking intelligently about. I’m very happy that I stumbled across this in my hunt for something concerning this.

    Reply
  21. Lisa says

    March 30, 2012 at 2:06 am

    Do you mind if I quote your article?

    Reply
    • admin says

      March 30, 2012 at 5:31 am

      Lisa, if you provide a link to ElmStreetEconomy.com.

      Reply
  22. www.amazon.com says

    April 5, 2012 at 9:01 pm

    Almost all of the things you mention is astonishingly accurate and it makes me wonder the reason why I hadn’t looked at this in this light before. This particular article really did switch the light on for me personally as far as this particular subject matter goes. But there is one position I am not really too comfy with and while I try to reconcile that with the actual core theme of the position, permit me observe just what all the rest of the readers have to say.Well done.

    Reply
  23. Jacob Bell says

    April 18, 2012 at 1:20 am

    @admin: I just have to say your site is the first I’ve come across this morning that doesn’t have typos every other sentence. Thanks for taking the time to construct something that doesn’t look like a 5th grader put together. Sorry, just had to vent.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About Me

Paul with his wife, Sarah Edwards, are award-winning authors of 17 books with over 2,000,000 books in print.

Paul provides local marketing consulting through the Small Business Development Center. He is co-founder of a new website: DigitalDocumentPros.com.

Prior to becoming an author, I practiced law, served as CEO of a non-profit, and operated a public affairs consulting practice. [Read more...]

Categories

Encyclopedia Book

New! A "master" e-book
on working at home
[Read more...]

Contact Us

Contact us today!
[Read more...]

Encyclopedia Book

Buy a book from the comprehensive
library of The Elm Street Economy
[Read more...]

Copyright © 2012 - 2023 Paul & Sarah Edwards · All Rights Reserved · Developed by Short Results